29 Aug 1889
Page 1
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This newspaper page contains 16 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Fairfield Tribune
Location
Fairfield, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Aug 29, 1889
Page
1
Jefferson County in TK Country described as a top all around county in the banner agricultural state with the most complete crop report yet. It argues why land is too cheap now and will rise, claims no public debt mortgage on county lands, and notes low taxes with improvements paid.
A sober county newspaper report describes Jefferson County as a farming region with an abundant harvest. The piece emphasizes accurate, distance-ready information about crops over booster-style sensationalism, contrasting local growth with eastern readership expectations.
Jefferson county Iowa readers are urged to avoid frontier booms and nomadic migrants. The Tribune seeks to reach sober minded substantial people who prefer settled, improved country and lasting homes over risk and rapid fortune.
The speaker urges newcomers to consider Jefferson County Iowa, presenting actual crop statistics and long standing productivity. They contrast settled land value with distant regions, noting cheaper prices and reliable yields. They highlight infrastructure such as houses, barns, wells, fences, roads, bridges, schools, and railways near markets.
A promoter argues that Jefferson county offers goods churches colleges and public libraries with low land prices. He cites John A. Ireland asserting it is cheaper to buy land in Iowa now than at government prices and notes that initial settlers endure hardship while later buyers profit, promising analysis of Iowa’s current situation.
The article argues that river valleys drive civilization and wealth, noting the Mississippi corridor as a premier agricultural region. It cites Illinois as a longtime leader in food production, with shifts as western states surpass in recent years.
The text lists per capita corn production, corn yield per acre, per capita potato output, total swine, milk cows, factory butter output, wool per sheep, and literacy indicators including reading ability and illiteracy rate. No dates or locations are provided.
The county spans eighteen by twenty four miles between the Skunk and Des Moines rivers with Cedar Creek and smaller streams. It lies fifty miles from the eastern boundary and thirty from the southern. One third of its area was originally timbered with oak hickory ash walnut and softer woods and remains well timbered and evenly distributed to every farm.
The article explains land in the county ranges from gentle to broken with undulation. It notes nearly all land has tile drainage and blue grass pasture thrives on broken land. A rough 160 acres rented for pasture last year at $1.25 per acre yielded profit, and the land could be bought at $7 per acre, with $1.25 equaling 8 percent of $15.62.
The county soil rivals any country, with two thirds prairie land of deep black alluvium and no hard pan. Timbered areas share this fertility, once covered by burr oak and hickory, now cleared yet highly productive. An old settler’s remark adds weight to the land’s value.
Observations describe the best soil as the kindest the county has with thick timber land and a thinner lighter soil over a clay subsoil spreading across the area. The clay beneath lies nearer the surface throughout the county.
The black prairie and timber soil yield abundant crops including corn oats Timothy wheat clover and vegetables. Corn remains the main cereal with an average around 40 bushels per acre though some years higher. Oats are reliable at about 40 bushels per acre. Wheat favors timber land with 20 to 30 bushels per acre typical, spring wheat averaging 15. This year the wheat crop is below average.
Jefferson county stands out as a premier grass region with timothy and clover crops, blue grass pastures, and a historic boast of seven foot tall grass specimens at the state capital. The piece notes railroad land booms, price depressions in older states, and a forecast rebalancing that will raise local real estate as Iowa’s fertility outshines western booms.
Jefferson County land shows remarkably low prices with acre rates from 35 to 4 dollars for various lands. Improved farms average 15 to 30 dollars per acre, while whole estates fetch as low as 18 dollars per acre. Despite cheap land, county assets remain strong with schools, libraries, railroads, colleges, and markets cited. An article by William Louden offers an explanation for the ongoing low mood in Iowa land values.
William Louden recalls that Jefferson County grew through steady settlement rather than railroad hype. He notes Eastern Iowa was settled as homes were sought, with residents content to enjoy local resources rather than publicizing them.
For this fall's stock we offer hand-made French and American Kip Boots, Nelson & Son's Calf and Grain Button Shoe, Child's School Shoe, and men's and ladies shoes from noted makers like J. & T. Cousin's Reynolds Bros U. T. K. Fine Shoes. We promise honest leather, clear representations, and prices that cannot be duplicated, with fittings that hold shape after wear.
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